In an increasingly mobile world, the need for content on Smart Phones and tablet devices can’t be ignored. But how much should companies be investing to stay on the cutting edge? With mobile applications still in their infancy and the cost of app development seemingly unmanageable for most small companies, the search for reasonable alternatives begins.

Mygazines offers a great option for anyone from a freelance writer to a large publishing company looking to make their content mobile-ready, at a reasonable cost. The service has some impressive marketing functionality as well, with options for content sharing, social media integration, built in RSS feeds and video integration. The only catch is that the services requires a browser to launch; which takes most e-readers off the market.

Today, the need for app development may be dependent on a number of factors including; industry specific requirements, the types of content being displayed and the price customers are willing to pay to get what they want. For everyone else, there’s solutions like Mygazines to meet customer needs without breaking the bank.

I recently had a debate with several colleagues about the following question; would you rather be the best in the world at one specific task or a jack of all trades? Viewpoints on the question were mixed.

On one hand, being the best in the world makes you an authority on whatever it is you are the best at. A jack of all trades may have a wide range of talents, but is unlikely to be called upon for knowledge on one particular subject.

On the other hand people that are the best at what they do spend endless hours perfecting their craft, but are often one dimensional. What does a professional athlete do after his or her career is finished? Malcolm Gladwell’s title “Outliers” suggests that it takes 10,000 hours for someone to master their craft. That’s over five years (based on a 37.5 hour work week) of working on only one specific task.

Product Management is one career path where it’s viewed as beneficial to have expertise in a number of areas. As the link between a number of organizational functions including technology, marketing and sales – having broad knowledge is important for developing the trust and support of the stakeholders Product Managers work with on a daily basis. A Software Product Manager without technical expertise may have difficulty communicating customer needs to the internal technology team. An effective product manager though, must also be able to communication benefits to the product’s end user in a way they’ll understand.

In Product Management, being the best in the world is not a matter of mastering one particular task. What are the key factors to perfecting your craft?

When Twitter first launched and I heard it had a character limitation I thought “how can users say ANYTHING meaningful in 140 characters?” Originally, Twitter seemed best suited to following celebrities and letting followers know what you were doing – serving a limited (not to mention easily duplicated) function at best.

Though it may have been slow to catch on, Twitter has evolved into something much bigger.

In business to business publishing, “news trackers” have become increasingly common to provide customers with relevant, timely information, with short headlines that help users filter what they do and do not want to read in greater depth. As the need for content on mobile devices has increased, limitations to the amount of content people want to view on their phones has pushed publishers to adopt a similar model to Twitter’s character limitations.

Today, even Twitter is used more as an information source than it is as a way to keep track of specific people. Rather than follow Chris Brogan to know what he had for lunch, we follow him for the the valuable knowledge and information to which he can connect us.

An evolution in the way Twitter is used has seemingly revolutionized the way that we filter information.

With the pace at which the online landscape is evolving, it’s easier than ever to become complacent and fall behind competition. Businesses that are making the transition online need to recognize the importance of paying particular attention to factors that are likely to affect the future direction of their industry. The following is a list of what I believe are the best ways to stay on the cutting edge and position your organization for the future.

1. Know What Your Competition is Doing

While we’d ideally like to be ahead of our competition, knowing what they’re doing today will give pointers to where they are headed.

2. Listen to Your Customers

They may not be able to tell you exactly what they want, but gaining insight to how they’ll use your products is essential to building irreplaceable solutions.

3. Hire for technical expertise

Today everything is happening online. If you don’t have the technical expertise, you’ll be left in the dust. Even worse, the longer you wait to adapt to new technologies the harder it will be to get back into the game.

4. Do as an Entrepreneur Would

With the pace at which businesses and technologies are moving today, bureaucracy should be avoided at all costs. Put decision making in the hands of people capable of making the right decisions and give your products a chance to grow.

5. Involve Organizational Youth in Decision Making

A colleague recently told me that he heard “if you want to understand why Blackberry Messenger (BBM) is so popular, you’ll have to ask your kids”. The youth may not have as much experience, but in many cases they’re closer to the innovations that will allow your business to flourish. Don’t forget their voice.

If you’ve seen 3M’s latest efforts to sell Post-It Notes, you might be puzzled by what seems a non-traditional approach. Post-It Notes’ current marketing campaign has targeted what was once a secondary customer group; the at home user.

In an increasingly paperless world Post-It Note usage in office environments will undoubtedly continue to decrease forcing 3M to proactively consider what other potential customers will contribute to revenue going forward. While it may be some time before Post-It Notes are considered completely obsolete, the brand is smart to push for market growth in alternative customer segments.

Facing similar problems to the publishing industry, 3M is clearly attempting to make the most of it’s traditional business model while it searches for new revenue streams to fill the void that will one day exist in it’s office product line. Innovative publishers must take a similar approach as they search for new opportunities in the digital space.

On February 2nd, the Daily became available on Apple’s iPad app store with a mission to provide a unique online news experience specifically for the iPad. For some time the publishing industry has struggled to monetize online news content because of the availability free information on the Internet, but the creators of the Daily appear to be taking a step in the right direction.

Below is an overview of the Daily and some of it’s unique functionalities:

Described as living news, the Daily “combines text, image, sound, video and movement to tell stories that come alive the more you touch, swipe, tap and expolore”.

3 Reasons It’s Different

Much of the Daily’s content is opinion-based, differentiating it from free sources of information that focus primarily on “the facts”.

The Daily has been built specifically for the iPad, offering a superior viewing experience to competing offerings.

It’s customizable and interactive; customers can indicate preferences including local weater and their favourite sports teams.

Recognizing that potential customers may need to experience the Daily to understand it’s value, the product is available for free on a two week trial. Regularly the Daily is sold for only $39.00 a year or $0.99 a day. If you don’t yet see the value proposition, I suggest you give it a try. If nothing else you’ll get a taste for the direction the publishing industry is heading and the new formats publishers are testing to enhance the value of their content.

In the video below, marketing guru Guy Kawasaki talks about his latest book “Enchantment: The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions”. Guy discusses what he views as the pillars of enchantment; likability, trustworthiness and great cause.

It’s clear that while marketing contributes to the bottom line, it’s great products that are the cornerstone for any company’s success. Marketing can optimize the success of a product offering, but without quality products it’s unrealistic to expect enchantment be achieved. What makes your products great?